Robert Schuller Dispute: Crystal Cathedral Founder Seeks $5 Million

Robert Schuller is in a dispute over the Crystal Cathedral that he founded, seeking more than $5 million from the ministry he built.

The dispute has delayed payments to creditors still owed money from when the Crystal Cathedral filed for bankruptcy two years ago, The Associated Press reported.

Robert Schuller’s dispute brought him to Los Angeles this week to begin a 10-day trial over copyright infringement, intellectual property and contract violation claims.

The televangelist and his program, House of Power, once had 20 million viewers worldwide, with Crystal Cathedral becoming a popular religious landmark for the congregation.

Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy in 2010 with more than $50 million in debt. The Schuller family’s claims continue to delay about $12. 5 million in payments to creditors. The glass-planed Crystal Cathedral was then purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange last year in a bankruptcy deal.

“We’re just hoping that it’s soon over, so we can just move on,” John Charles, chief executive officer of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries, told The Orange County Register. “It’s been painful for both sides.”

Robert Schuller’s claim argues that he had an agreement with the church that promised annual payments of more than $337,000 for housing, insurance, and money for his corporation, Robert Harold Inc.

Another of Robert Schuller’s disputes involves books, videos, and other materials the reverend offered. In court papers The 86-year-old Schuller says he would never have sold the materials if he understood what the internet was.